Artistic Director blog
From Hjalmer Anderson's desk I will keep a blog on what is happening at our end of the new Theatre Company.
Hjalmer Anderson, Artistic Director/President of HEART
March 15:
Two weeks ago I attended the Theatre of Puget Sound's 2023 Unified General Auditions in Seattle, the first one after two years because of the pandemic . I was able to watch several hundred actors from across the Seattle area for a week. It was a lot of fun to catch up with many of my theatre professionals from our region many of them I have known for years. There were over 70 theatres auditing. I represented HEART and the Woodinville Repertory Theatre.
In addition, I was invited to direct the Woodinville Reps next show Angel Street which will open on June 2nd in Woodinville.
In the meantime, the HEART Board will meet Thursday to discuss upcoming Fundraising ideas to prepare for our next production of Glass Menagerie directed by Adrian Cerrato scheduled for September opening at the Kenmore Community Club.
March 3: Last nights board meeting we added Tara Meyer a former alum from my program at Woodinville High School and Amber Smith a children's theatre specialist and former Ms. Washington and editor of a local magazine, Pacific Northwest Collaborative to the HEART Repertory Board. Tara will assist with the business and Treasury duties. She is also planning on auditioning for our upcoming season.
Feb 19th: Well we had an adventure at yesterdays closing. A rental group who was in our venue the day before took one of our light dmx cables which shut down a lighting tree. Our Venue Manager had to call the group to trace down the cable. It took 90 minutes to get it back to us. Whew, that was an anxious moment since we had a sell out crowd with our wonderful show of Silent Sky.
We had a very successful run of Silent Sky. My cast and crew were wonderful through the whole process and were rewarded with wonderful audiences. It was sad to close such a wonderful show.
Now we are ready to work on fundraising this summer and to develop a new Children's theatre presentation over the summer. Before we rehearse and open our next major production of The Glass Menagerie directed by Adrian Cerrato.
November 19, 2022: Thank you for all who help make our Fundraiser a success!. Thanks to the cast and crew of our staged reading of The One Act Play That Goes Wrong! Thanks for the HEART Board, Caryn Axelrad, Adrian Cerrato and Kathy Meyer Strong. Thank you, Lisa Arden Wright for your wonderful singing. Thanks for the people who attended and those who won their bid on our auction items. Thanks for AS IF Theatre, David Farkas, Dan and Elizabeth Nivan, Marsha Stueckle, Larry Bridges and Thank you Sonja Rose Usher and her family for the Kraken Tickets. Thanks to Becky Gil and Belle Gil, Steve Cooper who helped mount our staged reading. Thanks to Josh Butchart, Stephanie D'arcy-Penoyer, and Katharina Bömers-Muller and Woodinville High School Theatre Company team who supplied the furniture and props.
Oct 18, 2022: I have contacted actors from around the region to perform a staged reading for The One Act Play That Goes Wrong. We are planning on starting rehearsals on November 9. My plan is to stage it much like a radio show with my experience during the pandemic directing those 18 old time radio shows.
In addition, I invite any businesses in the area to donate an auction item and attend our fund raiser on November 19th You can contact me at the emails below or send a donation on our go fund me page tab on this website or send them to our P.O. Box 1513, Woodinville WA. 98072.
Also, I attended AS If Theatres The Foreigner at the Kenmore Community Club last weekend and I highly recommend you making an effort to go see their show which has their final performances this coming weekend. And the Woodinville Repertory Theatre has opened Ghost Writer at the Sammamish Valley Grange Hall in Woodinville by the wine district. it is their first live show since the pandemic.
Oct 6, 2022 We are excited to plan the upcoming Gala Event on November 19th. We are reaching out to ask for any music solos or small combos to donate their performance time for part of the entertainment for the event. Also I am looking for 8 actors to perform the Staged Reading for the One Act Play that Goes Wrong.
If interested please email: heartrepertory@gmail.com attention: Hjalmer Anderson
October 3, 2022 - Been in contact with the Woodinville Grange Hall and it looks promising for a 2nd venue for our company so we can add more productions in our 2023 season. The Woodinville Repertory Theatre will be performing Ghost Writer this month at the space.
September 29, 2022 - Meeting with the Northshore Performing Arts Foundation Board at one of the local Woodinville Wineries to network for sponsorships and potential venue leads. Will update in a later entry.
September 28, 2022- We have mounted two full length plays this season and are working on fundraising to move forward into our 2023. Season, there is much to do. We have some new board members and we are working on delegating duties for our upcoming fundraiser on November 19 at 7 PM. We moved Silent Sky to February due to our financial situation and hope that with grant writing, working on sponsorships we will be able to launch into next year. Any support you can give us through our Go Fund Me Page or join us on the November 19th event it takes our community to help us reach our goals of outstanding live theatre in the Northshore Area.